Happy graduates but the University of Reading fears Government plans to reform access to higher education risks reducing the number of places available to prospective students from poorer backgrounds

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The University of Reading fears Government plans to reform access to higher education risks reducing the number of places available to prospective students from poorer backgrounds.

Universities are being consulted on a White Paper which has proposed institutions compete against each other and other education providers for student places.

The Government has outlined plans which would see universities charging £7,500 or more in tuition fees lose eight per cent of their core allocation of places after those achieving AAB or higher in their A-levels have been removed.

These places would then be auctioned off to institutions charging £7,500 or below as a reward for keeping costs down.

Universities charging more then £7,500 will be forced into competition to attract potential AAB plus students.

Reading claimed this would give these students “a disproportionate advantage to their peers”.

Acting vice-chancellor Professor Tony Downes said: “We have a strong, historic commitment to access at Reading and in 2012/13 the University will be doing everything it can to ensure fair access through our £6 million bursaries scheme and outreach work.

“We are concerned that the Government’s proposals, if they were to become law, may well reduce rather than enhance social mobility.”

In 2009/10 the university provided financial support to 3,140 students totalling nearly £3.5 million in the form of access bursaries worth up to £1,385 for students with the lowest household income and providing a bursary for all students with a household income of up to nearly £40,000.